TITLE
The Hebrew title is Sepher Melachim, “Book of Kings,” or “And the King.” These books were originally only one book. The LXX divided 1 and 2 Samuel into 1 and 2 Kings and Kings became 3 and 4 Kings.

AUTHOR
Unknown. Jewish tradition names Jeremiah as the author. The author must have been living at the end of the monarch reign of Judah (@ 585 BC). Several records of the events in Kings were available to the author including The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah (1 Kings 14:19), The Chronicles of King David (1 Chronicles 27:24), and The Chronicles of Samuel the Seer (1 Chronicles 29:29). Isaiah was probably the chief recorder (2 Chronicles 32:32).

DATE
@ 970-560 BC. The book spans the approximate four hundred and ten years from the end of King David’s reign to the captivity of Judah.

THEME
Chronicle of the height of Israel’s monarchial period, the division of the kingdom, fall of Samaria (Israel, Northern Kingdom), history of Judah (Southern Kingdom).

TITLE
The Hebrew title is Shemuel, “Name of God,” or “Asked of God.” Both 1 and 2 Samuel are titled after the prophet Samuel, the book’s main character.

AUTHOR
Unknown. 1 Chronicles 29:29 shows Samuel wrote at least part of the book. Jewish tradition states Samuel wrote 1 Samuel 1-24; Nathan and Gad were the other probable authors.

DATE
@ 1097-967 BC. The book spans about 130 years from the birth of Samuel to the death of King David.

THEME
History of Israel during the latter judges.
Government from the judges to the monarchy.
Israel becomes a Theocratic Kingdom.
Significant episodes in lives of Saul and David.
Background of the people through whom Messiah would come.

NOTE:
Samuel, used to anoint Saul and David, was known as the “King-maker.” The two books were originally combined into one. The probable reason for the LXX considering the book as two separate books was the necessity of two scrolls to hold all the material. This was also the case with 1 and 2 Kings , and 1 and 2 Chronicles.

TITLE
The Hebrew title is Reeiut, “Friendship,” “Association,” or “Companion.” “Ruth” is probably a Moabite derivation.

AUTHOR
Unnamed. Jewish tradition states Samuel was the probable author.

DATE
@ 1007 BC. The book is set during the time of the judges (Ruth 1:1), but was probably written during the reign of King David. (David’s genealogy is mentioned in 4:17,22 but Solomon is not mentioned, therefore, it was probably written before the time of Solomon and after David was ordained king.)

THEME

TITLE
The Hebrew title is Shophetim, and the LXX is “Kritai.” Both titles are derived from the book’s content, judges.

AUTHOR
Jewish tradition and the Talmud (Baba Bathra 14b) state Samuel wrote the book.

DATE
@ 1000 BC. The book was compiled and completed during the reign of King Saul from various records written during the period of the Judges. The time span is @ 1420-1088, covering from Joshua’s death at age 110 (Joshua 1:1) through the end of the Judges of Israel.

THEME

NOTE:
The Judges were executive leaders, governors, and military men God used to lead and deliver Israel from foreign threats. These men and women “judged” day-to-day matters of the nation of Israel. Judges had authority only over limited geographical areas, not over all of Israel.

TITLE
The Hebrew title is Yehoshua, “Eternal is Saviour,” or “Salvation.” The LXX title is “Yesus,” or “Jesus.” Joshua was first called Oshea or Hoshea (Numbers 13:16) which means “salvation.”

AUTHOR
Joshua (24:26). Jewish tradition states that Joshua wrote the book (Talmud, Baba Bartra 14b).

DATE
@ 1445-1420 BC. The book spans about twenty-five years from the death of Moses to the death of Joshua (24:29).

THEME

NOTE:
The book of Numbers shows Israel did not have faith to gain the promised land at first. Now, in the book of Joshua, God commands this second generation to have courage, a physical type of faith, to go in and take the land and possess it. Israel met the enemy “face-to-face,” “weapon-to-weapon,” trusting God to give the victory, though the odds looked overwhelmingly against them.

TITLE
The Hebrew title is Elleh Haddebarim, “These are the words.” The LXX title is “Deuteronomion,” meaning “Second law-giving.” It is a restatement of the law contained in the first four books, along with further instructions, to the generation about to leave the wilderness and enter a permanent homeland in the “promised land.”

AUTHOR
Moses. (31:9,24-26.) Jesus Christ quoted from the book (especially Matthew 4; Luke 40) for His scriptural authority. (8:3; 6:13,16.)

DATE
@ 1446 BC. Moses gave the messages of the book in oral form, only two months and ten days prior to Israel ‘s crossing over the Jordan River (1:3; 31:9,24-26). Moses wrote Deuteronomy during the last 60 days of the 40 years, covering the 40 years of Israel after leaving Egypt. The book ends with the death of Moses.

THEME
Restatement of God’s laws, with an exhortation to live by them, along with how to live by them and an explanation of why they were given.

TITLE
The Hebrew title is Benidbar, “In the wilderness.” The LXX title is “Arithmoi,” or Numbers, because of the weight given to the census figures provided in the book.

AUTHOR
Moses. The New Testament quotes the book and alludes to events in the book (John 3:14, the bronze serpent; Jude 11; 2 Peter 2:15-16, Revelation 2:14, Balaam; Jude 11, Korah’s rebellion).

DATE
@ 1446 BC. The book spans nearly 40 years, from the Israelites leaving Sinai (second month of the second year after the exodus) until their arrival at the plains of Moab, near the border of the promised land, Canaan (tenth month of the fortieth year of their journeying). This chronicle, probably a daily record in diary form, was completed by Moses in the fortieth year of the wandering.

THEME

TITLE
The Hebrew title is Wayyiqra, “Now the LORD called.” The LXX title is “Levitikon.” Leviticus is a title from the Latin Vulgate. Leviticus means, “That which pertains to the Levites.” Rabbinical Jews refer to the book as either “The law of the Priests,” or “The law of the offerings.”

AUTHOR
Moses. Ezra 6:18 states Moses wrote God’s instructions in a book. The book of Leviticus is the third book of Moses. In Matthew 8:2-4 Jesus made reference to Moses and the book of Leviticus (Leviticus 14:1-4). Nehemiah, Luke, and Paul also ascribed authorship to Moses (Nehemiah 8:14; Luke 2:22; Romans 10:5).

DATE
@ 1486-1485 BC. Leviticus was written in the wilderness of Sinai by Moses when he received instructions from God regarding the priesthood (Exodus 40:17). All the instructions regarding the Levites would have been completed no later than two years after the exodus, (Spring 1486 BC) since the duties of the priests were linked to the tabernacle.

THEME
The beginning of “Church government” (congregation in the wilderness).

A detailed and intricate “prophecy of things to come” (Hebrews 10:1-14; Colossians 2:16-17). (The rituals picture the meaning of Jesus Christ’s total, complete sacrifice.)

The laws of Leviticus teach the people holiness (Leviticus 19:2,18).

NOTE:
Israel was called out of Egypt by God as the New Testament Church is called out of the world (John 6:44,65). God chose the tribe of Levi as His priesthood. Today, God calls individuals as ministers under His New Testament Church government (Hebrews 2).

TITLE
The Hebrew title is We’elleh Shemoth, “Now these are the names.” The LXX title is Exodus, “Departure,” or “Exit.”

AUTHOR
Moses. According to Jewish tradition Moses is the author. Moses names himself as a central figure in all the action of the book (17:14; 24:4; 25:9; 36:1).

DATE
@ 1486-1485 BC. The book was probably written soon after the completion of the tabernacle (chapters 35-40), @ 1485 BC (40:17).

THEME

TITLE
The Hebrew title is Bereshith, “In the beginning.” The Greek, or Septuagint (LXX) title is Genesis, “Origins.”

AUTHOR
Moses. Ezra 6:18 states Moses wrote God’s instructions in a book. Jesus Christ refers to Moses as the author of the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Pentateuch or “the law” (John 1:17; 5:47; 7:19). Another New Testament authority shows Moses is the author of these books (Romans 10:5,19). Jewish tradition also recognizes Moses as the author.

DATE
@ 1486-1446 BC. Moses probably wrote the book of Genesis during the early portion of the wilderness journey of the Israelites. The Masoretic text defines the time span of Genesis as 2369 years ending with the death of Joseph in Egypt (50:26).

THEME
• The creation of man (chapters 1-11).
• Beginning of the patriarchal history of the Hebrew people (chapters 12-15).
• The sovereignty of God over all He has created.
• The story of salvation.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (1:1).